Life's Important Things
by ProDLnEC aka NLcsimiamifanatic
Summary: Sequel to DELICATE Their jobs were important to the world. But for Miami's CSIs, there was one thing more important...their families. I'm not sure where this story is headed so STAY TUNED!
1. Chapter 1

_**Life's Important Things**_

_A Sequel to__** Delicate **_

_ I decided to add Natalia in this story. She was never a 'spy.'_

_**Beautiful Mornings**_

Horatio Caine smiled.

The early morning rays of Miami sun shone through the blinds. The soft rays of light resting on the sleeping body of the most beautiful woman in the world.

His pregnant wife, Aimee.

She was three months away from giving birth to their third child. Their daughter Faith would be two next month. Their son Kyle had just turned seven. The gender of the baby his wife carried wasn't known. As they had with their daughter Horatio and Aimee were waiting till the birth to find out. With Faith, Horatio had a feeling from early in Aimee's pregnancy that the baby was a girl. They had moved Faith to another room a month ago and the girl didn't seem to mind. In fact she appeared excited. The room was painted lilac and had a matching butterfly-theme and her name on the wall. Her toddler bed was set up there as well as a white frame single bed for when Faith outgrew the smaller one. Her parents told her that the room was a gift from the new baby. For familiarity for her, the rocking chair from her old room was moved into the new one. They only had to purchase a dresser for Faith's clothes and rocking chair for the baby's nursery.

Kyle was not jealous of his sister's a new bedroom. When he outgrew his nursery, he got to decorate his new race car theme bedroom, too. But he wasn't totally left out, he got to go to _Toys R Us_ and pick out a remote-controlled monster truck and another tonka tractor to play with in the sandbox. Horatio was off for a week, seven days of personal time he wanted to use before it expired. He had used some of this time to help set up his daughter's new room and as well as to be a chaperone on one of Kyle's school trips. Kyle was thrilled his dad was able to do this. When she could and when grandparents Lacy and Trey could babysit Aimee usually did this. She was actually signed up to do so for this trip but when Horatio had time off and wanted to do it, his wife thought it was a great idea.

"I guess I can call mom and tell her that she doesn't have to watch Faith," she said.

"No, don't do that," Horatio told her. "Maybe you can call Calleigh and you guys could get together.."

Aimee agreed it had been a while since she and Eric's wife had sat down together for a chat.

Adam and Emily Delko were fourteen months old now and running circles around their parents. They barely napped. But they were sleeping the entire night so mami and papi were willing to make this trade-off. Calleigh was back to work part-time now. She was not working on the Thursday of Kyle's field trip. She was happy to hear from Aimee Caine and thought getting together would be fun. She said she would order Chinese and hopefully her little ones would go down for a nap then. And even if they didn't the duo played well alone in their play area that was surrounded by a safety gate and this would enable the two women to catch up.

The twins happily greeted Aimee, giving her kisses and hugs. They weren't interested in sitting in the kitchen and stacking blocks at their tiny children's table. So Calleigh placed the two in the play enclosure, turned on the baby monitor before going back around the corner to kitchen where Aimee sat. Both women enjoyed talking to another adult for once, even if they were both moms and the topic eventually got back around to their children. The two had called Lorelei Rogers to come as well but T.J. had a doctor's appointment for his six month immunizations. The baby wouldn't be in the mood to be around company after that. Both Aimee and Calleigh knew that all too well from their children.

When she asked about Faith and her new room, Calleigh joked that Horatio must be relieved to not to assemble the crib again. Both laughed, remembering the trouble Aimee's husband had had last time.

"He said he's guilty as charged on that. He was happy that the toddler bed was so easily put together and the other was pre-assembled," Aimee said.

At the lab, Tim, Eric and Horatio were giving Ryan a hard time about his new relationship with new DNA specialist Natalia Boa Vista. The two had managed to keep their relationship a secret from their co-workers—only trying to avoid the teasing, since inter-office dating was now permitted at the lab.

"I saw your expression the first time you saw Natalia," Tim said. "I don't think anyone wants to know what you had her doing or where."

Eric and Horatio laughed.

"Oh, shut up," Ryan replied with a sheepish grin.

"Then again, when you and Natalia start having kids like the rest of us—god knows when you'll be able to do whatever it was in your brain," Eric said.

Ryan indeed wanted to have a family like the other three men. Despite having only dating for a short time while he hoped to have that family with Natalia.

Eventually.

_If you wondering about the play enclosure the Delkos' have, think about the one from the __**Rugrats**__ cartoon._


	2. Chapter 2

_**The Other Side of Life**_

Eric Delko often wondered how he had ever lived without his twins. As exhausting as their first year of life had been his wife and he wouldn't changed a thing. Whether Calleigh and he would have more children was undecided. When the two had found out they were having twins, the first thing they heard was how exhausting life was going to be. He and Calleigh laughed it off.

Till they bought their bundles of joy home.

Everyone repeatedly assured the drained new parents that it would be only a short period of time and the babies would settle into a routine and sleep for all, if not most of the night.

That was the joke of the year.

Only three months ago did they suddenly start sleeping from eight at night to seven thirty in the morning. Mom and dad began to think the babies had just been torturing them for a year. Frank Tripp told the couple that left them plenty of time to make another little Delko. There was no way they were ready for that. But mom and dad were absolutely taking advantage of this new free time to be intimate, just with precautions.

* * *

Before he met Lorelei Rogers, if Tim Speedle had been told he would become a father he would have told them they were insane. Fatherhood was not on his radar. He met Lorelei when he was helping a friend drop off his dogs to the animal hospital. Lorelei was working that day and the two clicked immediately. The couple had been dating for over two years, living together for a year before returning to Miami where Tim resumed his previous career as a Crime Scene Investigator. Part of Lorelei wished Tim would stay in the safe, predictable 9-5 job of a forensics instructor at University of Naples. Especially after knowing that before she met him, the reason he changed careers and moved from Miami was because he had been shot. But she saw how bad he wanted to be back at that job and also be closer to the people he called his family. Lorelei had to admit she was happier in Miami than Naples. Tim's "family" were great people who had let her into their circle without a second thought. Now that she and Tim had baby T.J. she knew moving had been the best decision she made in years.

T.J. Speedle was sitting up all on his own now, learning to crawl and babbling up a storm. He'd squeal with delight when dad walked through the door. It wasn't like Tim ever disliked children but couldn't ever "connect" with them the way his friends and fellow CSIs Horatio Caine and Eric Delko did so effortlessly. Suddenly he found he could. He at tributed this to the birth of T.J. . He was "uncle Speed" to the Delko and Caine kids since they'd been born, obviously he was that to Kyle the longest. And he only got the chance to meet Adam and Emily Delko when he moved back to the city. He only got to meet Faith Caine once, when she was about five months old. She didn't see Tim again until he and Lorelei moved back to the city. But since T.J. came into his life he saw his 'nieces' and 'nephews' in a whole different light. Suddenly he was a thousand times more comfortable around them.

Neither Tim, Eric or anyone else for that matter was surprised that Horatio's wife was pregnant again. The two said they wanted four children. Despite being fifteen years older than his wife and considered 'too old' by some to raise young children, and adding more, Horatio didn't give a damn. He took the teasing of he and Aimee "put rabbits to shame" in good humor, not like he could say they were wrong. Horatio was as excited about this pregnancy as he had been about the last one. As young as Faith was, most of her baby stuff, clothing and baby toys had been given to goodwill. They had the most expensive baby essentials, all the nursery furniture, car seat, baby gym, activity saucer and stroller. A handful of pink outfits and gender-neutral were packed away. Much more wardrobe was going to be required. Not to mention baby toys, diapers, bottles and the other less expensive items of which the cost swiftly added up.

The two were debating whether they should investing in a double stroller because Faith would only be a little over two years old when the baby arrived. A baby shower would be in order shortly, even if it was to simply celebrate the baby while getting a gift or two.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Baby Transportation**_

Less than three people commented after having two children, and the youngest being not yet two that Aimee shouldn't need a baby shower. That they already should have enough stuff with the exception of formula and diapers. But who kept the entire newborn and infant wardrobe once the previous child outgrew it? And besides, the new baby might be a boy and with the exception of five neutral onesies, all they had were girl clothes. The same went with the many smaller assorted toys like rattles and teething rings, who kept all that when it wasn't being used? Even though the person Aimee had heard say it was her best friend since childhood, Maria. But the two had grown up from two different financial backgrounds; Maria having had much less than Aimee. Aimee guessed that was where her friend's "penny-pinch at anything and everything possible" attitude came from. Nevertheless Maria was her friend and Aimee knew she would be at the baby shower.

Alexx agreed that Horatio and his wife should get a double stroller. She said she wished she had thought of that when her two children were young. Her pre-teen son and her teen daughter less than two years apart. Eric told Horatio that most side-by-side double strollers were made so they could fit through a standard doorway, probably the first requirement for it, he said.

"I'd get one of those versus the other type," Eric said. "Then you wouldn't have Faith complaining she wants to sit in the front instead of the baby."

Horatio laughed.

He hadn't thought about that.

Faith was as feisty and determined as her mom when she wanted something so a stroller with the wrong type of seating would cause upheaval after the new baby was here and mom was trying to take them out for an afternoon. A good side-by-side stroller, preferably one with cup holders an extra that Aimee insisted made life easier when a person is with children all day was going to be pricier than the parents-to-be would have liked and finding a used one that was in good shape was proving to be near impossible. Eric could have told the Caines that if Horatio had asked beforehand. That afternoon Eric sent an e-mail to the rest of the team who all agreed to chip in money for this.

When Aimee Caine told her excitedly she was pregnant with her third child, Maria Logan was surprised, both by the news itself and the fact Aimee was over the moon regarding it. Families were expensive and Maria thought two children were expensive enough these days. Aimee had her son and daughter, the family of four had a comfortable life. Why miss with that? Still Maria was polite enough not to voice her thoughts. Maria lived in Orlando with her boyfriend Justin. Neither planned on children or marriage.

Maria and Justin shared the views of no matter how one tried these days, parents had no control over their children's behavior.

Marriage? That was the ruin of most relationships.

Aimee thought that was a deem view of life.

Routines were important but Aimee decided to change things up today. She took Faith and Kyle to the park shortly after school let out. Kyle riding his bike ahead her while Aimee pushed Faith on her push and ride-on tricycle. Instead of rushing home to cook, the three sat down at the picnic table and ordered from a food truck nearby. Kyle ordered a hamburger and fries, or what seemed more like ketchup with some fries after he got through with the bottle. She ordered Faith a hotdog with cheese fries and a pretzel for herself. She shared her daughter's fries knowing the girl would only pick at them. She let the children burn off more of their energy by chasing each other around the grass before rounding them up to head home.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Steam and Stress**_

_Rated M (is there an M+?) For hot shower sex. :) Enjoy!_

A meeting with the chief of police delayed Horatio's arrival home by two hours or so. He would have to give the kids a kiss goodnight after they were asleep tonight. The children being asleep tonight wasn't so bad. He and Aimee had shared hot and heavy lovemaking from three to five that morning. It was quite a way to start the day. They hadn't felt done when Horatio had to get ready and leave for the lab at six. The itch for each other lingered in the back of their brains all day. The house was silent except for the shower. Horatio smiled, swiftly taking his holster and gun from his belt and just as fast un-clipping his badge from the same place. He placed both on a high shelf in case one of the kids did wake up. He threw his jack on on the nearest chair and walked briskly down the hall and through the master bedroom. He opened the bathroom door slowly and quietly. For a few seconds he savored the sight in front of him, the form of his pregnant wife, her swollen breasts and round protruding belly through the steamed up glass of the shower door. Blood ran fast to his manhood.

Aimee had heard her husband since he was in the living room. Taking off his work gear as fast as he could.

"What are you waiting for?" She asked.

Horatio smirked, stripping in seconds and reaching the shower in three steps. He sled the shower door open. The sight of Aimee's pregnant body without being obscured by the steam was enough to bring him to full arousal. He stepped into the shower and sled the door closed behind him. His mouth grabbed Aimee's in an animalistic, wild kiss. When they broke the kiss, Horatio stepped behind his wife and entered her in one thrust. Aimee stifled a scream of pleasure, she was so sensitive to the slightest touch she exploded immediately. If Horatio hadn't already been inside her juices would be running down her legs like a rush of hot lava. Both were still breathing heavy as he pulled out from her wife, his hands didn't release Aimee's hips. They couldn't finish this here. Thankfully, the bathroom was attached to their bedroom and Horatio had locked the door behind him. Horatio lifted his still wet, naked wife into his arms and carried her to the bed. Both were still soaking wet.

Fuck it if the sheets got wet. They were going to get wet anyway.

This time Aimee took control. She straddled her husband as he lay on his back. He griped her hips and groaned loudly as she rode him. Afterwards she fell into the mattress, both breathing hard and flushed, completely satisfied. They shared a passionate kiss before speaking.

The release was worth the wait.

Horatio put on a pair of boxers and started to change the sheets, soaked in more than one fluid. Aimee dressed in a pair of silk maternity shorts and matching tanktop. Remembering first thing to put on panties. They never knew when one of the children would knock on the door and want to crawl in their bed.

No undies with unlocked door wasn't optional.

* * *

It didn't happen too often but Faith woke up crying that night.

She wanted daddy and only daddy.

Even Horatio was confused by this. But maybe the toddler was having a moment of missing him and with everyone who came around talking about the baby she was stressed. She could find it stressful that all of a sudden people were always calling her a "big girl" and encouraging her to do too many things on her own. Mommy and daddy knew to be careful with the "big girl" label, however. Moving Faith out of her crib to a toddler bed now, instead of later was more a safety measure, besides getting ready for the baby. Faith had started climb out of her crib. Her parents figured a fall from a toddler bed was better than one falling over the railing of a crib. Faith wasn't a little baby and was capable and proud to do certain things by herself but there was just as many things adults should be doing for her. The world was still a big, sometimes scary place for her. Just because she was going to be a big sister soon didn't change that.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Hugs and Halloween Treats**_

Once a week for three hours Faith and her mom attended a mom and toddler group. Moms thought Aimee and Horatio were babying Faith too much by still carrying her around a lot and giving her hugs and kisses whenever she whined and become clingy which was often lately. Horatio wanted to yell "for Christ's sake, she's two-years-old!" when one of parents from their neighborhood said that Faith was old enough to know how to manipulate a situation to make things go her way to get what she wanted, and that was exactly what she was doing right now, every time she cried for attention.

_Translation: _Their daughter was just being selfish, toddlers were too young to experience stress or anxiety. Little Faith was jealous and wanted her parents to pay attention to _her_, not the baby in mom's belly.

Faith's parents vehemently disagreed. Toddlers were people , too. Everyone could experience these emotions. They didn't completely deny however, that a toddler knew how to got what they wanted, but they also knew when that was happening—and when it was not and they knew how to handle the former firmly. Their daughter knew the baby coming would change things in the house and that was stressful for her, understandably. Plus it was being made to seem like Faith was in her mother or father's embrace _constantly_. There were more hours of the day where she wanted nothing to do with mom or dad. She wanted to play and explore, she could be in the backyard day and night, away from mommy.

She'd say "mommy go 'side!" not understanding why Aimee stayed on the back deck watching her while she played alone on the slide and in the sandbox. Faith had all the ducks from the backyard pond named, too. She didn't understand why they couldn't be patted like her grandparents' dog could. Her parent gave up trying to explain it after a week.

* * *

Tomorrow was Halloween.

It was a night when the lab was flooded with calls, half were from people fooled by frightening pranks. The other half were actual crimes. Some more gruesome than others solely because the perpetrator believed it would be "fun" to do commit a murder on October thirty-first. Over the years, this had caused Horatio to dread the date, during shift hours at least. After trick-or treating Kyle was going to a Halloween party a few houses down the street where his best friend Rory lived. It was a spook house theme party for six and seven-year-olds, the parents of young invited guests were reassured in the invitation that was mailed out around the neighborhood that their little ones wouldn't come home and have nightmares. The scariest decoration would be spiderwebs and jack-o-lanterns. Along with 'pin the tail on the pumpkin' and other children's party games, the movie the kids were going to watch was _Scared Shrekless._ Pizza, popcorn, candy and cupcakes would be served. Prizes would be won. The party was from 7:30-9:30pm.

When Kyle read the colored paper with his dad, he said "pumpkins don't have tails, daddy."

Horatio laughed.

"No. They don't. I think this pumpkin might be special."

Both the kids were looking forward to the evening. Faith probably because she was told there was a ton of candy involved. Kyle was dressing as a pirate and Faith a ladybug. Aimee could see how her husband was wary of the date but Aimee loved Halloween. She decorated their home to the hilt to the amusement of Horatio. He would never put his own feeling towards an occasion onto others. Especially his children. Kids were innocent and _supposed_ to enjoy these times. He did like the trick-or-treating part of the day despite the job-related dislike. He had enjoyed it since Kyle was Faith's age.

Faith was more excited about Halloween than her parents realized. Seven o'clock the next morning Faith ran into their bedroom and jumped into their bed. She was wearing her antenna headband from her costume.

"I bug!" she said.

Horatio chuckled through his groggy state.

"You are," he said.

Faith insisted on wearing her antenna all morning. Mommy was able to convince her to take it off for a few minutes and so she get her dressed and brush her hair. At their mom and toddler group today there was a Halloween party and when the two left there and picked up Kyle from school, they were going to drop by the lab where there was always treats for the employees' children. Aimee hoped she would get to see Eric's twins. Calleigh had told her that she was dressing Emily as a kitten and Adam as a pumpkin. T.J. Speedle would possibly be there, too but according to his mom, he wanted nothing to do with his _Spiderman_ costume.

Much to Lorelei's disappointment. Calleigh told Speed's girlfriend that she just might get lucky today and T.J. wouldn't mind wearing it.

Seeing all kids in their Halloween costumes was sweet.

Ever since Eric and Calleigh added to the kid count on the team, a group picture of the children dressed for the occasion. T.J. let "nana" Alexx—not mom or dad put his costume on him long enough for the annual photo. Lorelei had come to the lab with baby and costume in separate hands, hoping _someone_, maybe dad or uncle Eric could convince him to wear it even if it was momentarily. The fact that neither could do it but Alexx could wasn't all that much of a surprise to T.J.'s mom. Alexx had a way with children.

Faith Caine proudly told everyone she saw at her dad's work she was a bug—before she was even asked. She _loved_ her costume. Her mother thought she would have to wait until Faith was asleep to get it off of her without a fight. After that, Aimee thought she would have to hide it somewhere her child couldn't see it or else it would all she would wear. The headband antenna could stay out. Black went with everything so the accessory would match anything Faith wanted to put on.

_Halloween continues on the next episode..._


	6. Chapter 6

_**Halloween...with Spice**_

The spook house decorations and accompanying sound effects at the party Kyle was invited to didn't scare Faith Caine. The sounds and lights from the animated ghosts and witches made her giggle. Rory's grandmother Dorothy, who lived with him and his parents had even made a candy bag for her.

_That's all she needs. More Candy. _Aimee thought with a smile. But it was a nice thought to include the little girl in the party that her big brother was dropped off to right after trick-or-treating. Aimee was already going to have to carry Faith's heavy treat bag along with Kyle's, home. And two-year-old Faith was beginning to get tired so she was also going to have to carry _her_ home.

Not fun when you're seven months pregnant.

To her relief, she wouldn't have to do this. She was still chatting with Dorothy and Rory's mom, Cindy, fifteen minutes later, Faith now sitting next to her in the kitchen when Cindy noticed a vehicle pull into the driveway.

"Aw. Your husband is here," she told Aimee.

He had stayed at the lab an extra hour to enjoy cookies and sandwiches in the break room, only because Aimee told him to. She said it was nice for him to have some time with his friends off-the-clock. She and the kids would be trick-or-treating anyway and then taking Kyle to his party. They would getting home around the same time he would. Horatio knew when he didn't see his wife and daughter on the block and a half route they were taking that night she was either already home or still at Rory's house after taking Kyle there. He didn't like the thought of her having to walk the distance back with heavy bags and a toddler in her arms at this, or any stage of her pregnancy. Horatio rang the doorbell and laughed at the sound of cackling laughter followed by howling. Dorothy opened the door and smiled.

"Horatio, hello," she said.

"Hi. I was wondering is my family still here," he said.

The sounds of kids laughing from the downstairs rec room flowed up into the porch.

"They are. Why don't you come on in for a few minutes."

Horatio stepped in and closed the door behind him.

Faith grinned when she saw him, slipping off her chair and running over to him.

"Daddy! Daddy! 'Ook!" she said, pointing at the decorations.

"I know. They're cool, aren't they?"

Faith fell asleep on the minutes ride home. Horatio would pick up Kyle afterwards.

"You had an uneventful shift?" Aimee asked her husband.

There had been nothing on the news in the past few hours and Horatio wasn't kept at work so his wife assumed nothing too big had happened at the Miami-Dade Crime Lab. Horatio nodded, "not too bad. One of the better Halloweens."

Aimee's feet throbbed and her back ached. She flopped onto the sofa. Horatio took Faith upstairs and tucked her into bed. The mom-to-be smiled, touching her extended abdomen lightly feeling the baby kick. They still didn't know if the baby was a boy or girl. The precious image of the baby's face and his or her fingers and toes, and hearing the strong heartbeat was enough for them. Everyone would know the gender of the baby soon enough. Names were picked; a boy would be named Zachary, a girl would be named Jasmine. Kyle said it would be "neat" if the baby was a boy this time. Aimee was half-sleep when she felt the familiar hand of her husband brush against hers. She opened her eyes and smiled at him.

"Hey. That was fast," she said.

"Yeah. She was out like a light. C'mon, let's get you upstairs."

Aimee sat up and Horatio gently helped her to her feet. Upstairs, she took a quick shower—her husband would have joined her but they knew what that led to and he had pick up e Kyle shortly—and put on a pair of silk pyjamas. Horatio was already on the bed. She sled in next to him. He stroked her hair and kissed her brow.

"I would've asked you to join me but since we only have a little while..." Aimee teased Horatio, running her finger down his chest.

"You're a naughty, naughty girl. You know that?" Horatio chuckled, kissing his wife deeply. "I'll have to deal with that when I come back."

"_Promises, promises_, lieutenant," Aimee grinned.

"You can be certain of that, little lady."

Kyle chattered _all_ the way home from his party, a combination of being him and too much candy and too many cupcakes. Horatio figured the sugar rush would end and Kyle would crash in the next twenty minutes to a half hour. Enough time for him to get ready for bed and then tell his mom about the party before falling asleep. Then as promised Horatio was going to deal with his wife's prior "naughty" behavior.

When her husband locked the bedroom behind him and pulled his t-shirt over his head before slipping off his jeans. Aimee smiled coyly.

"Hmm, what's this about?" She asked.

"I haven't forgotten that you need to be punished for taunting me earlier when you knew I couldn't do anything. Time is mine now, girly."

"Ohh..scary."

Horatio thought his wife was even more sexy during pregnancy. The fact that they had to be more creative in their lovemaking was more a turn-on for both of them. How any man could deprive his pregnant lover because he was too turned off was something Horatio would never understand if one hundred men tried to explain it to him for a century. If he could, he'd have Aimee all day long. But he settled for having her all night, leaving themselves with three hours of sleep before starting the day over again.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Dark Morning**_

_ Rated __**M**__ for graphic details! You've been warned!_

As sleepy as she were the next morning Aimee enjoyed tell her son tell her even more about the party had attended the night before. The large backyard of the Owens' house was done up like a graveyard, it was lit up almost like daylight and the children had had a scavenger hunt. Kyle came in second place but "it didn't matter anyways, 'cause everyone got a prize," he said. Today was starting just fine for his wife and kids but for Horatio hadn't even pulled out from the lane that led to his home before his cellphone rang.

There had been a double murder in South Beach.

Horatio walked into the living room of a house where a young boy was shot twice in the chest. One bullet pierced his heart and the another his lungs. The second shot wouldn't have been necessary to kill the child. His name was Joey. He was dead after the first bullet went through his heart. The only way to tell that Joey's t-shirt had been white were the sleeves. The rest of the garment, front and back was crimson red, as was the floor underneath him. It looked like Joey had been caught unaware while sitting on the living room floor. The Nintendo 3DS was still in his hand. He had playing _Super Mario Brothers_ _2_. When Alexx and Tim turned the boy's small body over, there was blood around his mouth and his lifeless green eyes were still wide open. On the other end of hallway lay the body of Joey's mother, Cora. She had been shot once through the forehead, the back of her skull blown off from the blast of the shot gun, leaving brain matter mixing with blood. Another shot hit the center of her chest. Again, the second bullet was over-kill. It appeared Cora had been surprised by her husband when she exited her bedroom, possibly after she heard her child being murdered. The pool of dark blood surrounded most of her body, soaking into the grey carpet.

The suspect was already in custody.

The father and husband of the family.

He had made the 911 call and hadn't left the scene. n Jackson Cahill had shot and killed his 10-year-old son and his wife. Jackson had a long history was mental illness and was a diagnosed Schizophrenic. He was known to go off his medication because he hated the side effects. In recent months Jackson's son had started to display the same early symptoms of the disease that he had as a child. When Jackson and his wife had taken their son to be examined, it was found he had inherited the gene for the disorder. A psychiatrist put Joey on a cocktail of medications and the boy's symptoms largely decreased and for the moment, for the most part, his behavior returned to that of a normal boy. This could change however, and the boy would have to be monitored contentiously.

Handcuffed in a police cruiser, Jackson Cahill freely admitted he hadn't taken his medications for almost a month.

And it felt "great' to be free from the fog and side effects the drugs put him in.

Yes, he knew he could, likely would become violent if he didn't take the pills but he didn't care. Jackson had killed Joey because the boy was now going to have a life of medications, even if Jackson disagreed. Jackson didn't want to medicate himself—or Joey. Cora couldn't control her husband but she _could_ make sure her _son_ got proper treatment.

And she intended to.

Jackson believed even if his wife was dead, "other forces," would intervene and force treatment on his son and himself.

Therefore Joey had to die, too.

It wasn't Jackson's fault that he killed his family. It was the fault of a society that wouldn't conform to people like them and forced them to conform using medication. Frank asked Jackson was if he was aware that once he was charged and placed in jail or in a psychiatric hospital, he would be taking his medications.

One way or the other.

Jackson replied that didn't matter now. With his history, he could make a plea of insanity and win easily.

"You're wrong," Ryan Wolfe said. "You know as much about your illness as most psychiatrists. You _knew _what would happen when you stopped taking those pills and you did it anyway. _That_ is not insanity in the eyes of the law. You're going to prison. I'd be afraid if I were you. People like you, ones who kill their own children, don't do well inside those walls. Guards don't exactly run to help you."

Horatio sighed looked down at the body of woman who died trying to save him from his own father. And because she wanted to do what was best for him, the opposite of his father and her husband wanted.

The team had a quiet All Hallow's Eve and woke up to this.

Horatio felt no sympathy for this guy. Jackson Cahill had used his illness and twisted it to commit two cold-blooded murders. The lieutenant was going to make sure he paid for it. It occurred to Horatio for a split second that his own son might know the ten-year-old victim. When he walked to the other end of the hall where pictures of the boy were hung up. In the photos Joey Cahill wore a private school uniform. Kyle went to public school. It was likely that two boys had never crossed paths. In most of Miami, unless the family lived directly next door kids from private school didn't associate with kids in public school. It was sort of an unwritten rule.

It took four guards, two orderlies and a physician to strap Jackson Cahill to a stretcher in the jail infirmary to inject him with his prescribed medications. When on his medication cocktail, Jack Cahill was "quite" lucid, according to his psychiatrist. He "absolutely" could assist in his defence. The district attorney had obtained an emergency court order to force him to resume the regiment. The defence had fought the order and lost, the judge stating Jackson Cahill "could not escape inside his mind to evade trial." The order stated Jack be held without bail and his medication would administered via injection "voluntarily or involuntarily per the prescribed dosage and schedule."

* * *

Kyle Caine didn't know Joey Cahill. They didn't do the same activities or play at the same park. This was one worry off Horatio's mind, his son wouldn't have to be interviewed as a witness. Nor would his wife, who didn't know the Cahill Family. Public school was pronounced by private school parents like _smallpox_ was in the sixteenth century. If any parent from Miami-Dade Elementary knew or were friends with Jackson and Cora Cahill, Horatio was going to be genuinely surprised.

This murder coverage Aimee did see on the news. She had been dealing with a cranky toddler was protesting getting dressed. Aimee was determined not to resort to the "mommy will let you have another Halloween candy" bribe. She knew that this was likely what Faith was waiting on. Aimee wasn't worried about the toddler's teeth. That was why toothbrushes were invited and Faith was going to get new teeth anyway. But even very pregnant and exhausted from a night of hot sex with her husband, Aimee was determined _not_ to give in so Faith didn't think she could wear mom down, at least all the time.

And Aimee tried to make bribery her last resort.

She let Faith sit on the floor in just her pull-up and play with her blocks for fifteen minutes. She told her daughter she wasn't getting any candy, getting any ice cream from the ice cream truck and wasn't going to the backyard to feed the ducks—Faith's favorite thing to do after breakfast—until she apologized and let her mom dress her.

It took almost a half hour but Faith finally picked up the clothes that Aimee had bought from her bedroom and brought them over to her mom and said "I sorry, mommy."


	8. Chapter 8

_**Big Decisions and a Toddler's Determination**_

_ **Warning: mentions of child sexual abuse and the Catholic church!** Do not read if you're offended!_

"Hey. H? You guys find out the sex of the baby?" Eric asked, he knew the baby shower was in a few days.

There was a brief slowdown for them late in the afternoon. The autopsy on Joey Cahill was still in progress. Ryan had volunteered to observe it. He silently figured it would be better for him to do so since he didn't have a pregnant wife or children at home. Horatio, Calleigh and Eric were eating a late lunch in the break room. Horatio had just called his wife to check in and heard how _his_ daughter was being difficult. After getting dressed stand-off and feeding the ducks Faith didn't want to go back indoors. She told her mom "no!" and plopped herself down on the grass. Aimee had to pick her up and carry her in.

Faith was currently serving her second sentence of two minutes in the corner after refusing to say she was sorry after her first time.

The exchange had gone like this.

_"What do you say to mommy, Faith? Are you going to say sorry to mommy?"_

_ Faith shook her head. "No."_

That started the second time-out.

Whether it was because she was jealous of the baby on the way–-there was a lot of buzz in the house about the baby shower that was in a week and baby names—or she was just being a two-year-old, Fath was a challenge to her parents lately. Not knowing the gender of the baby, Horatio and Aimee had decided on Jasmine Ella for a girl and Austin Levi for a boy.

"Nah. We're waiting this time, too," Horatio told Eric. "And _no_ this time I don't any idea what the little one is," he said, knowing that his friend's next sarcastic question would be. Everyone had mocked him about his prediction, during Aimee's pregnancy with Faith—but he'd been right, hadn't he?

Eric laughed at his boss's last comment. He laughed even harder when he heard Faith wanted to name her baby brother or sister "Elmo."

This one case would be enough for one day for any set of investigators but a half hour after their break, Horatio, Tim and Eric were called to a crime scene at all places, the home of a Catholic priest.

This had all the marks of a murder-suicide.

It appeared the clerk from the church had entered in the office of home and found the priest, who was almost deaf and probably hadn't heard her in enter the room, viewing pictures, ones graphic enough to make everyone look away from the screen of child pornography. Some of the boys in the images were no older than four-years-old.

If they were that.

Later Eric would find more grotesque images of the now=dead priest preforming sexual acts on these boys.

The dead woman on the floor had been strangled by a sash from a nearby curtain.

The priest had left a note:

_I had to do it. _

_ She was going to turn me into the police, who would never understand. That would call me a pervert and rapist._

_ Of which I am neither._

_ But that doesn't matter now._

_ I am at peace and I know I am forgiven._

Horatio scoffed at the paper taken from underneath the head and hand of priest.

The fact that the man put the berretta that was registered to himself in his mouth and fired after writing the note was probably a good thing. The justice system and prison wouldn't give him enough punishment for what he had done. For all the victims they could identify from the images on the laptop, there was likely many more because the man had been a priest for thirty years. Horatio thought.

Horatio was forever torn between whether it was better for paedophiles to die by their own hand or go to prison. In this case, the self-imposed death of Father Grant McClay was a favor to the world. With the priest dead, the only thing the team could do was hand the footage over to the Crimes Against Children Unit and hope the children in the footage could identified and helped, if they couldn't be given justice.

"This is why I'm not raising my kids Catholic," Eric muttered, averting his eyes from the laptop.

Both Horatio and Speed couldn't agree more.

Horatio could deal with a "difficult" toddler compared a day like this, any day. True he was much more of a softy with Faith than Aimee was but being firm with her was indeed something he was capable of doing. Losing your temper with your children, while at times inevitable was something the couple tried to avoid if at all possible. It only escalated the situation.

Horatio was greeted by his son when he walked through the door. He found himself relaxed at the sight of the smiling child who had lost his second front tooth last night and opened his eyes and found two dollars underneath his pillow from the mythical being known as the tooth fairy.

"Hey pal," he said tussling Kyle's hair and kissing the boy's head a the boy hugged him around the waist. He definitely could use a haircut.

"Hi daddy."

"Where's your mom and sister?"

Kyle screwed up his face.

"Faith was bad all day, daddy. She's in time-out. _Again. _She keeps getting out."

Horatio suppressed a smile. He might have been in for quite a night with a fiercely stubborn little girl but after the days' events that would be a breeze to face.


End file.
